Greg's Fire
by Ashabadash
Summary: Greg is waiting for evidence from the burn victim. He can barely watch from the other side of the glass and confides his darkest secret with the one person he can truly trust. pt. 1 in the Darkness series


**Disclaimer:** Sadly I do **not** own CSI…but I own CBS stock…if that's any good…….

**Summary:** Greg is waiting for evidence from the burn victim. He can barely watch from the other side of the glass and confides his darkest secret with the one person he can truly trust.

* * *

Greg sat in one of the uncomfortable blue plastic chairs as he waited. _They never tell you about stuff like this when you're training to be a CSI._ Greg thought. He looked at the victim through the glass, wincing as painful memories rushed through his body. 

All and all, the victim was lucky that Grissom had found her at the crime scene. He and Sara had gone after a call came in telling them that a fire had gone off in the woods. Grissom was amazed that Greg did not want to come. The usually overzealous CSI had shuddered when he was told it was a fire. Greg just said he didn't like fire.

He cringed at he saw the EMT s peel off crisped skin. It was black and flaky. _Like toast when you leave it in the toaster too long._ He thought. He put his head in his hands. _Why couldn't they go any faster?_

Greg didn't notice someone else walk in and occupy the othe plastic seat. Sara Sidle just sat there, not really knowing what to say. This was a totally different Greg. And to be honest, the new Greg scared Sara a bit.

She moved he hand slowly onto his knee. Greg looked up, noticing for the first time that she was there. He looked away quickly, not wanting her to see his tear streaked face.

"You ok there, Greggo?" Sara simply asked. _Of course he's not alright!_ But greg just simply shook his head. "yoou wanna talk about it?" she was tentative, not wanting to push him into doing or saying anything.

For a moment, the two friends just sat quietly. Sara holding his hand and Greg staring, unfocused, at the EMT s. But after what felt like hours, really only minuets, Greg opened his mouth to speak.

"My mom died in a fire," he said quietly. Sara was shocked. Greg didn't really talk about his home life. _I guess this is why._ She thought.

"I was fifteen and my little sister Zoe and I were playing a game on the computer when my mom came in yelling at her. It was something stupid, I think she had gotten in a fight at school or something, but after about a minuet they were having a full on blow out." Greg told his story, looking away from sara as though ashamed of his family's rivalies. After a deep breath he continued. "In about ten minuets, Zoe had grabbed her backpack and ran out the door with out a second glance. I was a bit scared cuz we didn't live in the best of neighborhoods, so when my mom went up to her room, I left to find Zoe. She was eleven then and a pretty tough kid, but she still could have gotten hurt, New york isn't the greatest of places at night." He looked away from the glass wall as the EMT s stripped off what was left of her clothing. "I finally found her in an ally way about two miles from our house. She was crying and at first I thought some creep had found her, but she was just scared.

"We sat there for like a good half hour before desiding that it would be better going home to my drunken mother than stay out on the street. So we started walking home when we heard the sirens." Greg paused again, shuddering. Sara just sat quietly, moving her hand from his knee to his shoulder and rubbing it comfortingly. "A police car pulled up beside us and asked us what we were doing out so late. I told him that we were lost and he offered us a ride home. When I told him our address, he went really pale and told us to get in. We drove all the way out to my neighborhood when we first saw the flames." At that moment, Greg was interrupted as an EMT came in with a bag, instructing the two not to leave because the was a lot more. Sara nodded and the EMT left, leaving Greg to finish his story.

"When we got there, our whole house had burned to the ground and I could see my mom being carried away buy the parametics. The officer that had taken us home asked if we knew that house. When I told him it was mine, he led me and Zoe to the ambulance and said to me, 'Do you know this woman?' and pointed at this crisp figure lying on a gurney. I nodded and Zoe and I climbed into the ambulance. I remember sitting in that waiting room for three whole days. Zoe wouldn't let go of my hand and I kept telling people off for telling me that we should go home. _We didn't have anyone to go home to_, I had thought, _We don't even have a home_.

"In the end, my mom hadn't made it. It turned out that she took all of her remaining alcohol bottles and poured it over herself and lit up. She didn't _want_ to live anymore and there wasn't anything me or Zoe could do about it." He stopped there, not wishing to go any further. Sara looked amazed. Who knew that 'Goofy Greggo' could have such a dark past? Greg was crying now and Sara took this opportunity to put both her arms around her friend, holding him close. Sara wondered even more about his story. She wondered about Zoe and what happened to her and Greg never mentioned what had happened to his dad.

"My sister works in San Francsco now, she's a doctor. Has a kid and a husband and everything. I go visit her once and a while, but we grew pretty distant, but close at the same time, you know. Like, after mom was gone, we took care of each other. My dad had left when Zo was born and I guess…we were all we had left."

Greg sat up quickly and wiped his eyes. He couldn't believe he just told his darkest secret to Sara Sidle. Worse, greg couldn't believe he ws _CRYING _in front of Sara Sidle. He smiled sheepishly at her and was surprised when she smiled back. They stood awkwardly for a moment, holding each other comfortingly, until a loud beeping noise split them apart. Greg looked at his pager. "Grissom wants his evidence." He said softly, picking up the bag. Sara bent down to pick up the other one and the two went over to Griss's office to drop them off.

As Greg turned to walk the other way sara called out, "Greg…"

"Yea, Sar?"

"You wanna go get something to eat?" she asked. "Mabye talk some more?"

Greg thought for a minuet, "Okay." He said simply and the two walked down the hallway hand in hand, silently thinking that this may be the beginning of a new and much closer friendship.

* * *

**Ths is quite sad but i always wondered what Greg's life was like when he was a kid. there may be a sequal...but dont give your hopes up...**

**luves**

**Ace of Hearts.**


End file.
